Balance and Hearing: What Cochlear Implants Have Taught Us About The Developing Vestibular System

Objective measures have been integral in assessing and monitoring auditory function and overall performance in children with sensorineural hearing loss who receive cochlear implants. However, we have long known that over a third of these children with cochlear implants will have a concurrent severe vestibular deficit which translates into poor balance. These children’s desire and need to maintain an upright posture and move through the world around them without injury will compete for its share of the child’s cognitive load and at times finds itself in direct competition with their auditory needs and demands. The evaluation of children with sensorineural hearing loss and cochlear implants with objective measures of vestibular end-organ and balance function is essential in understanding their overall performance. This is particularly relevant as we begin to target therapies to reduce the impact of these multisensory deficits.